Who should carry Out An Audit?
The value of auditing the quality and implementation of your company’s health and safety management system cannot be understated.
Carrying out such an exercise periodically can bring reassurance about the arrangements that are working well, in addition to identifying areas that might require increased attention. Informed decisions can then be made about the actions needed to bring about continuous improvement.
A question we are frequently asked at RoSPA is: who should carry out an audit?
Many companies prefer to bring in an experienced external consultant, valuing the fact that the person is truly independent of the area and activities being audited.
Others, however, prefer an auditor to be trained from within their own staff, appreciating that the person is fully aware of the company culture and ongoing issues. Such an approach can also prove extremely cost-effective, and is therefore particularly attractive to smaller organisations. A software solution in the form of a structured monitoring tool can greatly assist internal auditors as they seek to conduct quick, efficient and in-depth safety audits, cutting down on paperwork and providing benchmarking opportunities.
Whether an external or internal solution is favoured, it is crucial that an auditor is competent to do the task. Auditing requires knowledge and skills related to the actual techniques involved in auditing and the “standard” against which the audit is being conducted.
RoSPA’s renowned Quality Safety Audit (QSA) portfolio includes a training course and software package for organisations wishing to have their own in-house “competent auditor” who works to the safety charity’s high standards.
QSA Approved Auditor Training equips delegates with the necessary skills for effective safety auditing and enables them to use ORBIT, specialist QSA software designed specifically for those trained by RoSPA. The five-day course covers the best practice guidance documents on which the QSA system is founded - HSG65, BS8800 and OHSAS 18001 – and enables auditors to practically implement QSA in line with the principles they set out.
Delegates also learn how to efficiently use ORBIT software to record, report and benchmark results, and how to present the findings of an audit. They are required to complete a mock audit exercise, through which they can put their newfound knowledge into practice.
A particular strength of RoSPA’s QSA Approved Auditor Training is what happens after the course. Delegates who successfully complete the training and examination are awarded a RoSPA Certificate of Training and are able to use ORBIT back at their own workplace. They can then become a “RoSPA Approved QSA Auditor” if, within six months of training, they submit an audit of their own organisation that is moderated and approved by RoSPA. Their inclusion on the RoSPA Approved QSA Auditors’ Register lasts for two years.
Through the training of competent auditors within individual organisations, RoSPA aims to promote the principle of continuous improvement in health and safety management in workplaces across the country.
Read more about RoSPA’s QSA in practice through our clients case studies and testimonies
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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